Kvass and estrogen in milk, part 2-5/19/16

Here is some interesting feedback, from a very qualified person, on our topic of estrogen in cows milk, I am sending this verbatim with his permission and please, especially note his comments at the end.

RE this months newsletter and estrogen in milk:
Estrogen levels in modern milk are much higher than they used to be in the past. This is due to the continuing effort to breed higher producing milk cows. Think about what one is selecting for at a genetic level when breeding for increased milk production. It is not surprising that higher levels of female hormones are found in modern milk breed cows and their milk. These changes are a direct consequence of the genetic changes occurring from the intense selective breeding for increased milk production. The modern, high production milking Holstein used in industrial milk production is the extreme form of this change - in many ways a genetic mutant that cannot produce without the high inputs given and then only last a short time. These high estrogen levels in milk are suspected to be involved in the early breast development occurring in girls. (Of course, other factors are also suspected, such as the endocrine disruptors in many plastics and plant estrogens, such as those in unfermented soybean products.)
I am not aware of any studies done on grass fed dairy production. I would suspect the increased estrogen levels would be lower than in industrial Holsteins, since most breeds have not been pushed or bred as intensely as the Holsteins. Breeding for increased milk production, whether on grass or grain, is the cause -- it's an unintended consequence. But it is probably lower in "neglected" breeds or breed lines. Also, selecting for production on grass, which involves many factors, ranging from mouth size to gut size to digestion efficiency to behavior factors, may mitigate the effects of just selecting for milk production on a high concentrate diet. Someone needs to do a study comparing the levels in grain fed milk vs grass fed milk. But the big bucks for research are on the industrial side.
Keep up the good work you're doing,
Ford Ransone, DVM

So, I asked Ford if I could print his response in our letter and he said.

Sure. I suspect, although I've seen no evidence, that the estrogen levels in milk from cows bred for grass based production are lower than those bred for grain based milk production, but not necessarily ideal. Similar to the omega-3 / omega-6 fatty acid profile in grain finished beef vs. grass finished: yes, the levels are different, but not by that much. On the other hand, it turns out that the omega-3 / omega-6 fatty acid profile difference does make a real difference in the average American's diet, because we eat so much beef as compared to fish. If estrogen levels in milk from cows bred for grass based production do prove to be lower, even if higher than ideal, then it is a better choice for concerned parents.
Note it is also related to the lower nutrition content of modern vegetables. As plants are selected for higher production, without any consideration given to taste or nutrient levels, the nutrient content goes down. It turns out faster growth generally results in lower levels of nutrients. Since taste and nutrient content are often directly correlated, the newer, faster growing varieties usually are less tasty. Again, like in breeding cows for increased production, when we genetically select vegetables for faster growth utilizing larger artificial inputs with no attention paid to other factors, important unintended consequences occurs. But as industrial farmers will tell you, they don't get paid for taste or nutrition. I'm sure you've read about this in Acres USA and other sources.
Have you read Steve Solomon's book, The Intelligent Gardener, Growing Nutrient-Dense Food ? I think it is the best gardening book I've ever read.
I just came back from the Grassfed Exchange conference in Perry, Ga. It was one of the best I've ever been to and affordable (unlike the Stockman Grass Farmer ones). Met rancher / farmers from all over the country and beyond, from Alberta, California, the midwest, the north, the south, Hawaii, one from Williston, Fl, and a very nice guy from Australia, Jeff, who has a 66,000 acre spread. He put in some 27 miles of water lines. Moves the cattle by turning the water on and off, similar to how I saw a farm in Oklahoma doing it with windmills. Big, but on the other hand, he needs 40 acres per cow-calf pair. There were also three different speakers discussing human nutrition and health, including Dr. Mercola, and one who did some of the basic research on the fatty acid profile and other nutrition aspects of grass fed vs. grain fed beef. But the thing that appalled me was how little most of the cattlemen new about human nutrition. They had some of best cream I've ever seen at the coffee breaks - it was incredibly yellow, I'm assuming because of the great spring flush they have in Georgia. Next to it was a carton of Organic Valley cream, which was slightly off white, but certainly not yellow. I saw so many people reaching for the Organic Valley cream, that I started asking them if they knew why the other one was yellow. Most didn't have a clue. They didn't even know "yellow" correlated with grass fed, not to mention anything to do with beta carotene. It's frustrating because they are raising food, not cars or steel or shoes or something. I bet most of them go home and cook with vegetable oil.
Ford

Bread, if you have not tried this awesome sour dough bread please do so. NOT “Wonder Bread” in any way, including price, but true nourishment big time. You will not find anything like this in stores anywhere.

Russian Kvass beverage, 4 Varieties……………we sold this years ago but it had too much sugar, fructose to be exact, so it was not really a health drink. This time around I think it is a healing food. Made by Living Breads, the same vendor that makes our old world sour dough breads. See description below:
Brottrunk Bread Drink/Old World Kvass
Brottrunk is a refreshing and energizing probiotic filled bread drink that is similar to Old World Kvass type drinks. It is made from fermented organic fresh ground Rye flour, Organic fresh ground Sprouted Rye flour, all flours ground minutes before the fermenting process begins, combined with Organic Rye Sourdough Culture, well water and a very small amount of Organic raw honey and Organic raisins. No other sugars used in creating this drink.
This Old World drink is said to be rich in B12, k2 vitamins, minerals, trace elements and enzymes. Our long slow fermentation process lasting at least 48 hours results in a drink that is rich in right-spin lactic acid bacteria known to help ones overall well being and health.

Congealed Honey? We had 2 people lately think something was wrong with our medicinal honey because it was congealed like jelly, this is natural and most honey that is truly raw will become this way. It will not do this if it has been heated, then it stays liquid. So this is how you know you have truly raw and unheated, all natural medicine vs junk. To get it back to the free flowing state just warm it in a sunny spot for a while or place in a warm water bath for a few hours.

Jordan Farms for Lease: "Jordan Farms has a long history in the Dover area (outside Tampa). It has been our family’s farm since 1930, and Cherri and I transitioned it to organic in 1999 becoming certified organic in 2000. After long consideration (and a year off), Cherri and I have decided to retire from farming.

We are looking for someone with a strong commitment and desire to lease our organic farm, and to continue operating it as an organic farm. If you know someone, have them email us: ronclark@ij.net ."
Contact: Ron and Cherri Clark, Jordan Farms, PO BOX 953 Dover, FL 33527